On December 2, the PAUL Award was presented to Peter Heynmöller, Hanna Lieding and Tim Mattern in Berlin (see p. 1544). How does Paul Goldschmidt, the first winner from 2020 and part of the current jury, view the event?
What was it like to get to know the other side of the competition as a juror?
Very exciting! Having to evaluate different projects neutrally and coordinate with other jurors is a completely different job to submitting a project yourself.
How did you find out about the award yourself?
It was through the Instagram account of 'Jugend hackt' in 2019, a program to promote young technology talent. I then decided to immerse myself in PCB development, which I still do today.
"The contacts I made still help me today"
What has the 2020 award changed for you?
The prize enabled me to buy a small e-technology lab complete with an oscilloscope and a good soldering station, which I used to develop an open-source air quality measuring station, for example. For this project, I was awarded the German Civic Engagement Prize, the umbrella prize for all civic engagement awards in Berlin. The contacts I made after winning the PAUL Award still help me today - after all, the FED, as the organizing association, brings together leading minds and companies in electronics design and manufacturing.
How do you rate the presentation of the award?
Very well. I find the design professional and brand-strong - and that's important. There is certainly room for improvement in areas such as the social media presence, but on the whole the award does excellent justice to its significance.
